Manufacture of subsurface-drying paper or other fabrics.



N0. 653,79l. Patented luly I7, 1900.

S. CRUMP.

MANUFACTURE OF SUBSUBFACE DRYING PAPER 0R DTHERFABRIGS.

(Application filed Apr. 21, 1900.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES; INVENTOH II A 770/?NE) NITED STATES PATENT Genres.

SAMUEL ORUMP, OF P OUGH KEEPSIE, NEW YORK.

MANUFACTURE OF SUBSURFACE-DRYING PAPER OR OTHER FABRICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 653,791, dated July 1'7, 1900. Application filed April 21,1900. $eria1llo.l3,748. (No specimens-7 T0 (tZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL ORUMP, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Poughkeepsie, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Subsu rface-Dryin g Paper or other Fabrics, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to the manufacture of paper and other fabrics, and pertains more particularly to the preparation of material to be printed upon by letter-press, lithographic, or other method, whereby said material when printed upon will, due to its previous treatment and the substance incorporated therewith, effect the subsurface drying of the ink, varnish, or other substance used in the printing.

The object of the invention is to afford an adequate means for effecting the rapid drying of the ink, varnish, or color on the printed sheets, and thereby saving the enormous delays,expense, and difficulties incident here tofore to the printing of sheets bearing any great amount of inkor color, such as in labelprinting and the like.

In accordance with my invention the upper or exposed surface of the ink, color, or var nish and the under surface of the same in contact with the fabric dry or oxidize simultaneously until the oil in the color is hardened beyond reaction, the process of oxidation being rapid and the novelty being in compelling the color to dry from its lower surface outward by the method and means hereinafter explained. In accordance with the best methods heretofore employed for hastening the drying of the printed sheets, such as the use of heat and driers in the ink, there was an unequal drying, the color being acted upon more adequately on the upper or exposed surface, with the result that the under stratum of color did not dryin unison with the upper surface of same. With the employment of such methods there was not only a waste of time, but, due to the imperfect and unequal drying, the sheets when stacked 'or rolled would frequently heat and stick together, with consequent loss and trouble. Moreover, in consequence of the methods heretofore employed for hastening the drying of the printed sheets the strength and glossy character of the color were impaired and the printing was not of that high order of excellence capable of attainment.

In accordance with my invention the sub surface drying obviates the excessive use of driers in the ink and assures full strength of color on the exposed surface, and a higher grade of printing results, my invention thus improving the art of printing. It is true also that in the employment of the excess of driers in the ink the ink is not only prejudicially affected, but their use compels less-rapid printing than would otherwise be possible, and in this regard also my present invention is an advance in the art of printing, since it dispenses entirely with any excess of drier in the ink and renders it entirely practicable to use a minimum quantity of drier in the ink or to omit when advantageous, as in very rapid work, all driers from the ink. I

In carrying my invention into effect I treat the paper or other fabric or material to be printed upon with an aqueous solution of a suitable oxidizing substance or drier and then dry the paper or material, when the latter will be ready for immediate use in the various printing processes. When the paper thus treated is printed upon, the oil in the ink or color will at once be acted upon by said oxidizing substance, with the result that subsurface drying will set up and the ink or color will dry from below and outward, the drying being rapid and, according to my experience, occupying but about one-sixth of the time usually required under favorable circumstances when heat and excess of driers mixed in the color are relied upon to hasten the drying operation.

In the drawing I illustrate, diagrammatically, a side elevation, partly in section, of a machine for carrying my invention into effeet, and in this drawing 1 1 denote dryingrollers, which receive the web of paper from the usual paper-making machine; 2 2, soft rollers between which the paper 5 passes af ter traveling through the drier in aqueous solution contained in the tub or trough 4, and 3 3 the drying-rollers for drying the paper after it leaves the rollers 2 2 and has had all excess of solution squeezed from it by means of said rollers 2 2.

I have discovered that more or less satisfactory results may be attained with the use, for treating the fabric or material, of an aqueous solution of any of various drierssuch as acetate of lead, sulfate of zinc, sulfate of manganese, and chlorid of manganese, or other form of salt of manganese in solution and hence I do not confine the invention to the use of any special drier in aqueous solution, but in the broader scope of the invention desire to include any suitable drier capable of use in aqueous solution for impregnating the surface of the paper or other fabric. I have discovered, however, that the best results may be attained with the use of an aqueous solution of sulfate of manganese, which material has not, I believe, ever heretofore been employed in any relation or situation at all analogous to the use to which I put it. I therefore recommend that an aqueous solution of sulfate of manganese be made use of in the practice of my invention, and sulfate of manganese in aqueous solution of 35 Baum is a commercial commodity and may be modified by the addition of water at will. It may be used at its original strength (35 Baum) if a strong drier is required, or it may have four times its weight of water added to it when a materially-weaker drier is desired.

The strength of drier employed will depend upon the character of the printing to be d one as, for example, where a heavy body of ink or color is to be deposited a stronger drier should be employed in the treatment of the paper, and,again,the greaterstrength of drier should be employed where it is desired that the printcd matter shall present a glossy surface. It

will also be desirable to use the greater strength of drier where rapid printing is to be done with a heavy body of color containing. but little drier, and in this connection it may be well to remark that the subsurface drying aids in preventing the oily substance in the inks containing but little drier from penetrating entirely through the paper.

' The aqueous solution of the drier being at hand, the paper or other fabric or material will be immersed in the same, or the solution will be sprayed or otherwise delivered upon the said paper or other material, in either instance the surface, at least, of the said substances becoming impregnated. Various means for applying the drier in aqueous solution to the fabric will readily suggest themselves; but ordinarily the most satisfactory means for this purpose will be a simple trough containing the solution and a pair of rollers, the paper or other fabric being passed through the solution and then between the rollers, which will squeeze out all excess of the solution. After the treatment with the solution the paper or other fabric or material will be dried and then used or shipped, as occasion may require. The drying of the fabric maybe done in any convenient way, as by hanging up the same or passing the same over heated cylinders.

The advantages to be derived from the invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art and are indicated hereinbefore. It may be added, however, that the saving of time in drying the printed matter is of the utmost importance and that myinvention results in an improvement in the character of the finished printed product itself, both for the reasons hereinbefore expressed and for the further reason that printing ink and vanish not containing driers will be more elastic when dried upon a surface of drying material such as my invention provides.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

'1. As a new article of manufacture a fabric or material to be printed upon, said fabric or material containing upon its surface a drier to receive the printed matter and eifect the subsurface drying of same; substantially as set forth.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a fabric or material to be printed upon, said fabric or material containing upon its surface a salt or compound of manganese to receive the printed matter and effect the subsurface drying of the same; substantially as set forth.

The process hereinbefore described,

which consists in saturating the surface of,

the material to be printed upon with a drier in aqueous solution, and then drying the same; substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 19th day of April, A. D. 1900.

SAMUEL CRUMP.

Witnesses:

CHAS. C. GILL, GUNDER GUNDERSON. 

